Darts & Laurels: A thumb's up for county council for considering tax cut

A look at the week that was, the issues and people who made headlines, and a few darts and laurels for those who deserve them.

LAUREL: To County Council. They are considering a tax cut. The move would put about $25 bucks back in the pockets of the average homeowner. No, it won’t buy you a Mercedes, but it would get you tank of gas for your car. Good for Council.

DART: To all those other government entities who never met a cut to meet their revenue projections that they embraced. Their usual reaction? Raise taxes. We’re talking to you, school board members. And to you, state Legislature. How many new ways to gamble can you possibly bank on?

DART: To the loss of two Delco icons. Frank Kelly, the longtime mayor of Collingdale, and Rocco Gaspari, who led Lower Chichester for years, both passed away in the past two weeks. They served their towns for decades. In fact, you could say both the faces of their communities. They will be missed and leave us with an indelible legacy of community service.

DART: To Kathleen Kane. The Kane Scrutiny, the saga the enveloped the one-time state attorney general, is now over. The rising star some thought might be the first woman elected governor of Pennsylvania is now an inmate at the Montgomery Count Correction Facility. Such a waste.

DART: Well, the county has received that much-anticipated risk assessment study on the Mariner East 2 pipeline. This one is not going to make opponents of the plan who have been fighting to shut it down for months very happy. The study basically says the threat from the pipeline is similar to being involved in a car crash, house fire, of even falling down the steps.

LAUREL: To Wawa. Only a convenience store that calls Delco home could concoct a coffee-flavored beer. The Philly favorite is teaming with 2SP brewery in Aston for the special holiday stout. 'Tis the season.

LAUREL: To Matt Tyson. Once again this year the Ridley resident is turning into a one-man Toys For Tots outlet. Tyson knows all too well what kids who are in the hospital go through at this special time of the year. He spent nearly a year at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. Now he’s paying it back. Well done.

DART: To the loss of one more Chester icon. The Masonic Temple, Chester Lodge #236 Free and Accepted Masons, is about to close up shop. Actually the group will merge with Penn Lodge #709 in Concord. The reasons are familiar – fewer and fewer members. Meanwhile, the grand structure the group has called home since 1921 at Ninth and Welsh streets will be sold.

LAUREL: To Homes for the Holidays. Looking for some holiday cheer? Look no farther than Page 2 of the Daily Times every day. That’s where you will find a house in the county all dressed up for the holidays. If you think you know a house that deserves recognition, email a photo to editor@delcotimes.com.

LAUREL: To the Merry Christmas Fund. For the 47th consecutive year, the Daily Times will partner with the Salvation Army for our annual holiday fundraiser. The money raised goes toward the important work the group does, both in the city and surrounding areas.

LAUREL: To Purses With a Purpose. This program that kicked off on Black Friday will offer some personal items that will ease the burden on victims of abuse. Kudos to Delco D.A. Katayoun Copeland, the county Women Against Rape and the Local Home & Gifts store in Media for a great project.

LAUREL: To the legacy of Frank Kelly. They didn’t call him ‘Mr. Collingdale’ for nothing. Kelly passed away last week. He served as mayor of Collingdale for decades. A huge hole in the community and hearts of Collingdale.

LAUREL: To word that the majestic Stoneleigh property on the Main Line will be preserved. Lower Merion school district officials recently announced they no longer are considering the property for needed playing fields for the district.

LAUREL: To all those who took part in the recent flag football game that raised money for the Nemours Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in the name of Emily Egan, who was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and is recovering after treatment at the center. Among those taking part in the friendly competition were representatives from Crozer EMS and the Aston, Chester and Parkside fire departments. All money raised went to the Alfred I. du Pont Hospital for Children in Delaware and a $2,000 donation to Neighbors Helping Neighbors in Aston. The drive also included a canned good collection.

DART: To another food scare. The federal government told us all to throw out all our romaine lettuce in the latest e.Coli problems.

LAUREL: A few days later the CDC revised the recommendation, saying that you could eat romaine while checking where it came from after the feds determined the source of the outbreak to a specific area in California.

DART: To Kathleen Kane. The former state attorney general is now headed to jail. Her appeals on her convictions for leaking grand jury material to get back at foes have been exhausted. Now the Montgomery County D.A.’s office is seeking to have her bail revoked, which would mean the former top law person in the state would face the prospect of spending time behind bars.

LAUREL: To Turkey Bowls. The kind played on the gridiron, not the ones sold at Wawa. Some traditions are worth preserving, and in Delaware County, that means Thanksgiving football pitting rivals such as Chi and Sun Valley, Ridley-Interboro, and Haverford-Upper Darby.

DART: To Markelle Fultz. This sad saga only seems to get worse. Now the former No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft is going to a specialist in New York City to determine what – if anything – is going on with his shoulder. Now comes word that the team is looking at possibly moving Fultz. Unreal.

DART: To the Flyers. As they continue to tread water, the ax is starting to fall. And it fell on the head of one-time icon and now General Manager Ron Hextall. Look for the new GM to make more changes, possibly including the head coach. Part of the problems the front office had with Hextall apparently was his reluctance to let coach Dave Hakstol go.

LAUREL: To the Eagles. They’re not dead yet. That second-half rally to beat the Giants might just have saved the season. Now they have a date with the Redskins at the Linc Monday night, and a win is a must to keep them in the race for the NFC Least!

DART: To the Saints. They picked a helluva night to be belly-up, losing to the Cowboys Thursday night. Drew Brees and the Saints totaled all of 176 yards against Dallas. They had that much in the 1st quarter while smoking the Eagles. The Birds' long climb back to the playoffs just got steeper.

LAUREL: There’s no truth to the rumor that Gritty is in the running to be the new Flyers GM. Everybody hated this thing when it was first rolled out. Now people can’t get enough of the orange beast. He even collected write-in votes in the recent election.